Stun Creative hires Marina Crenna to launch STUN ORIGINALS

Stun Creative, the kings of comedy content aka the award winning creative agency, commercial and branded content production company based in Los Angeles, announced today that it is launching Stun Originals, a production startup that will develop original entertainment programming and content for television and the Web. Stun has hired Maria Crenna, former President of Mandeville Television, to run the unit, under the title President Stun Originals. The new division is represented by Brad Mendelsohn of Circle of Confusion and by UTA.

“Stun Originals will make a strong push into television programming and content and there is no more experienced person to lead this charge than Maria,” said Brad Roth, Partner at Stun Creative. “She’s a top player in this business and has the perfect experience to make this new content division a winner. We’re excited to have her onboard.”

Prior to her tenure at Mandeville, Ms. Crenna was EVP of CBS Paramount Network Television where she oversaw development and the production of an average of twenty-five primetime series each season, including Criminal Minds, Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Everybody Hates Chris, and NCIS. Earlier, as EVP of CBS Productions she helped launch CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, Without A Trace, Judging Amy, King Of Queens, and Cold Case. She joined CBS Productions from Warner Bros. Television where she was SVP, Comedy Development, playing a key role in the development of the hit series Friends and The Drew Carey Show.

“Stun Originals greatest strength is its independence,” said Ms. Crenna. “It is poised to take advantage of the changing marketplace. As an independent, we can be entrepreneurial about how we approach development and production. Our goal is to harness the dynamic creative energy that drives Stun’s core business to create a supportive, engaged and collaborative development environment for content creators. I’m thrilled to be working with the Stun Creative team."

Already notable for its award-winning comedy work in network promos, commercials and branded content, Stun Creative’s new shop will leverage Ms. Crenna’s extensive background in comedy programming to develop original comedy content, but also will extend the company’s footprint into scripted drama, unscripted programming, and limited event series for broadcast, cable and digital networks.

"Stun is uniquely positioned at the intersection of advertising and entertainment having a successful track record creating both,” said Mark Feldstein, Partner at Stun Creative. “With brands actively looking for compelling content opportunities as a key element of their marketing strategies, Maria leading Stun Originals takes our efforts to the next level."